The hacker behind the Rockstar leak that gave the world its first look at GTA 6 in 2022 has been released from a secure hospital. However, now that he has been deemed fit enough to be freed from the facility, that now means he will face a conventional criminal trial for his Rockstar-related crimes later this year.

GTA 6 Hacker Released From Hospital

BBC’s Joe Tidy confirmed on Bluesky that the hacker, Arion Kurtaj, has been released from the secure hospital in which he was being kept and moved to a normal prison. Kurtaj was technically given a life sentence and could only be released from the hospital when doctors deemed him fit enough to do so.

NEW: I can finally report that the GTA6 hacker Arion Kurtaj is out of the secure hospital he was sent to and now in a normal prison awaiting retrial. Kurtaj was a key member of the teen hacking gang Lapsus$ and was given an indefinite hospital order due to his severe autism diagnosis. When he was.. — Joe Tidy BBC News (@joetidy.bsky.social) 2026-07-14T14:38:43.197Z

Clearly, the criteria required for Kurtaj to leave the hospital have been met, but that doesn’t mean he now gets to walk free. Now serving his sentence in a normal prison, Kurtaj will presumably remain there until he faces a full criminal trial in November of this year. Coincidentally, that's the same month that GTA 6 will be released, provided the game isn’t subject to another delay, which seems unlikely at this late stage.

Kurtaj Remains In A Regular Prison Awaiting Trial

Rockstar

Tidy reports Snapchat images that appeared to show Kurtaj in prison had been circulating, suggesting he has been moved from a secure hospital to a regular prison. The BBC's cyber correspondent had to wait until reporting restrictions had been lifted to confirm that Kurtaj has indeed been released into a normal prison. Those restrictions have now been lifted.

Kurtaj was part of a wider hacking group that goes by the name Lapsus$ when arrested for the Rockstar hack. He was eventually sentenced more than a year later, with the judge handing down an indefinite term at a secure hospital due to a severe autism diagnosis. The judge believed that Kurtaj remained a severe threat to the public, and it's claimed he acted violently while held in custody during his original trial.

An assessment conducted as part of the trial determined that Kurtaj "continued to express the intent to return to cyber-crime as soon as possible. He is highly motivated." Beyond another trial in November, it's unclear what now awaits Kurtaj, and what sentencing and punishment he might face, having already served more than two years in a secure hospital.

Grand Theft Auto 6 Like Follow Followed Action Adventure Systems OpenCritic Reviews Released November 19, 2026 ESRB Rating Pending - Likely Mature 17+ Developer(s) Rockstar Games Publisher(s) Rockstar Games 8 Images Close
Where to play Close

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Engine Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE) Genre(s) Action, Adventure Powered by Expand Collapse